Ryan Smith

Thanks to my ADC membership, I was able to install OSX 10.6 -the new Operating System from Apple. I would be lying if i said the upgrade was perfect; but hey, this thing is still in Beta. However, Windows users should feel right at home. The following is a list of stuff that is a bit flakey.

Works

• Adium
• VMware Fusion
• Tweetie
• NewsFire

Doesn’t

• Nambu ( heaps of errors and no solutions )
• 1Password fix
• Textmate… key commands are buggy fix
• CyberDuck Use the latest alpha
• ForkLift ( no info! app crashes upon startup )
• LimeChat ( see RubyCocoa )
• RubyCocoa

Think Fast Tank
Global Headquarters

good coffee makes a good programmer

TreadEx
Investor’s Presentation!
blog post on KCStartup page

I had such a fun time! I came up with an idea to connect bicycle messengers with local business owners on Thursday night. I pitched the idea friday night at the Kansas City Startup Weekend ( with a little help from my friends ) and started from scratch on Saturday morning. Sunday night, we presented the idea and launched our site. It was awesome! Here are some highlights:

TreadEx Sunday Afternoon Update from Dan Melton on Vimeo.

TredEx Team Update from Dan Melton on Vimeo.

Help the Bikers Team from Dan Melton on Vimeo.

Read more here -> www.unews.com

So on Tuesday of last week I revived an old idea.  I  wanted to create a web app that helps college students trade their textbooks.

Let me explain this idea with an example.

As a student. I want to save as much money as possible. I can do this by not buying my books from the university bookstore. But if I do not buy my books from the bookstore, how then shall i get the required reading material? My solution is to BookUp! So, lets say that I just finished Calculus III and I no longer need my 50lb Calculus book. I go to BookUp, find my Calculus book on the list and then I will create a listing associated with the book. This listing will show the world that I no longer need this book and I wish to give it to a student who does. I could sell it for cash or cashews, it does not matter because BookUp does not assume that much. BookUp is more of a tool to connect students and less of an commerce app. So basically this is a Craig’s List for college textbooks.

Let me know what you internet people think about this idea. . . . And now, in case you missed the link

BookUp

I like uniform key commands. Hence the following quick tip.  Now i can move between tabs in TextMate with ease.

System Preferences -> Keyboard & Mouse -> Keyboard Shortcuts.

Now, add a new short cut and name it “Next File Tab” and then add whichever keyboard shortcut you prefer. Do likewise for “Previous File Tab.” Voila!

requirements:

• Simplicity
• Group TODOs with projects
• iphone app
• syncs with basecamp
• iCal integration

Things.app

I evaluated this solution first. I was initially drawn into this product by its wonderful use of OSX goodness. They have a very sleek interface that allowed me to quickly understand my data. The work flow is very nice. I start by brain-dumping my tasks to  the inbox and then filtering the inbox into two my granular compartments. Things makes sorting the inbox super simple. I add due dates to all of my TODOs and Things will show me these TODOs on the date of their deadline. They also have a nice container for “someday” projects. My someday box is growing exponentially.

Pros:

1. Interface
2. elegant HUD for adding new todos
3. less money than omnifocus

Cons:

1. No integration with BaseCamp ( for now )

OmniFocus

After 20 days of using Things, i decided to give OmniFocus a shot. The bar was already set really high. Unfortunaltly this may have slanted my opinion. Nevertheless i gave OmniFocus the college try.  OmniFocus is developed by the Omni Group, makers of OmniGraffle - one of my favorite tools. This is probably the reason why OmniFocus is a bust. It is to complex for what i wanted. It seems very powerful, as does the learning curve. Four days into using OmniFocus and one of Einstein’s famous quotes came to mind: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”  It appears that OmniGroup had never considered this when designing OmniFocus.

Cons:

1. Crap interface
2. bloated

bottom line

Things.app !

Posted by Ryan Smith

This has got to be the wildest thing that i have ever heard. There can be no way that Cisco approves of this. . . . Programming on LSD; really!?